


everything has changed

by sharmansdaniel



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: F/M, Mushy, Sappy, lots of feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:54:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27040852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharmansdaniel/pseuds/sharmansdaniel
Summary: "I used to think the worst thing that could ever happen to me was dying at 17 but now I’m starting to think the worst thing would be never meeting you.”what would've happened after Ray busted Julie at Eats & Beats if I had written the show.aka it's still Luke's birthday and Julie wants to celebrate.
Relationships: Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 14
Kudos: 325





	everything has changed

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written something that wasn't a screenplay in over 5 years so this is rough but it's mine and I'm proud of her for trying. warning: this is MUSH. this is FLUFF. absolutely no critical or thoughtful writing here. just straight up, sugar coated compliments and declarations of love.

Luke sat on Julie’s bed lost in thought. How could he be so stupid? Sneaking out to play a rock show was his thing, he should’ve never tried to make it Julie’s. What she and her dad had was good and honest and he’d put all that at risk just for three minutes of an on-stage high.

To be honest, he had been chasing that high ever since he, Alex and Reggie zapped back into the universe. It was hard to describe exactly but it was the closest he was ever going to get to feeling alive again. He can’t feel the heat of the lights or the thump of the bass in his chest anymore but whatever cosmic connection forms between a band and their audience as soon as the first note is played, THAT he could feel. He wanted to feel that way forever.

But it wasn’t worth hurting Julie. Nothing is worth that and all he can do is sit on her bed, twiddle his thumbs, and hope to God he wouldn’t be the reason why she lost something she loves. If her dad really does make her quit the band, she could lose someone too. The thought made his non-existent stomach roll with hell. He’s just about to dip into another cycle of pity when the door opens and Julie appears. She yelps upon seeing him, like she always does. Somehow to him it sounds like a melody. 

“We need to figure out a way for you to establish your presence without scaring the crap out of me.” 

He stands up to greet her. “Now where’s the fun in that?”

She tosses him a playful smirk as she moves past him to put her bag away. “What are you even doing here? It’s late.”

“I was worried. We didn’t get to talk after your dad busted you. Is everything OK?” His voice betrays his nerves and he mentally scolds himself for being so transparent. 

She takes a moment, maybe two. She’s drawing this out to mess with him and he can tell and it makes him adore her even more. Julie finally answers with a smile. “Everything’s fine. We reached an understanding, I just can’t sneak out anymore.”

He nods, impressed. Ray Molina, ladies and gentlemen. Father of the freaking year. “I guess that’s fair.”

“Yeah. Should be easy as long as there aren’t any delinquent ghosts running around encouraging me to break the rules.”

“Hey, I didn’t encourage. I simply provided you with a solution to your problem.” 

“Which only created a bigger problem!” 

Luke throws his hands up in defeat. “OK, you win. I’m no good.”

Julie smiles. “I actually have something for you.”

Luke watches as she digs into a bag on her desk. It takes a moment but when she finally turns around, in her hands is a cupcake with a single candle aflame. 

“I don’t really know how birthdays work for ghosts but it’s still your birthday and I think that’s worth celebrating.”

Luke’s relationship with air is complicated since he’s basically made up of it. Yet somehow Julie always find a way to knock the wind out of him. “Julie, I-- You didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to. I wanted to make sure your day ended on a happy note.” 

He approaches her. “We played a show together. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.”

“That can’t possibly be true,” she replies, rolling her eyes at his dramatics. He always clocks it. They’ve yet to have a conversation where she doesn’t. 

“You overestimate how good it was growing up in the 80s.” 

She makes a face. “How old are you actually?”

He makes a face as well. “Don’t know, don’t care. See, I’m dead so birthdays are pretty inconsequential.” 

“That doesn’t mean you can’t make a wish.”

He’s finally right in front of her, so close their shoes are touching. “I don’t even know what to wish for.”

“Fame? Fortune? You can wish we become legendary.”

He looks at her, drinking her in. Her brown eyes twinkle with wonder and promise and he can’t even begin to understand how he got so lucky. How many people get a do over like this? Luke doesn’t tear his eyes from hers as he bends down to blow out his candle.

She pouts. “You didn’t close your eyes. You have to close your eyes to make a wish.”

“That’s because I didn’t wish for anything.”

“Luke! You had one job.” 

“There’s nothing to wish for, Julie. I already have more than I thought I’d ever have.” He’s teetering close to the edge of something he’s never been to before but it feels right. Everything about this moment feels right. 

“Sentimental Luke. I like it.”

“Well wait ‘til you hear this. I used to think the worst thing that could ever happen to me was dying at 17 but now I’m starting to think the worst thing would be never meeting you.”

She doesn’t say anything. Just averts her gaze to a spot just past his feet and oh God does he regret what he’s done. It was too much, he realizes it now but he needed her to know. Everything’s different because of her. In every way. In the best of ways. But they’re not there yet and he can swear his bleeding heart is leaving blood stains on her floor as he scrambles to fill the dead air. “I uh-- I wish I could eat that,” he says, gesturing to the cupcake. “Chocolate was always my favorite.” 

Julie looks down at the cupcake and her face blanches at the realization of her faux pas. “I’m sorry. I totally forgot you couldn’t eat. That was stupid of me.” She puts it back on her desk and turns back to him with a sheepish smile. “No wish, no cupcake. Some birthday, huh?”

He notes that she came right back to him, back to their closeness. Shoes touching, heart beats echoing. It makes him feel a little bold. “No, it’s perfect,” he replies. The words tumble out of his mouth, just above a whisper. He goes to take her hand but stops, the realization of what he is and what this is crashing down on him like a wave. He hopes Julie didn’t clock it and curses himself for the moments he reminds her that he’s not really here, not corporeal, not alive. He realizes minutes too late that there is in fact one wish he’d like to make. Another year older yet not a single bit wiser. 

“Luke?”

She snaps him out of his pity cycle and back down to reality. This moment. Real or not real, he is here and what’s left of the heart in his chest feels like it’s on fire. “Yeah?”

“I’ve spent a lot of time wishing I could change my past. But if everything that’s happened in my life, led me to you, then I wouldn’t want it any other way.” 

Jesus Christ, he can’t breathe.

“You, Alex, and Reggie,” she continues. “You guys saved me.” 

He wants to hug her so badly it burns. His entire world is so close yet so far away and it makes his throat ache. Why didn’t he wish for the ability to touch her? Why didn’t he even try? How can he possibly convey just how much she means to him in something as useless as words? 

“I think we saved each other.” It’s weak and lame but it’ll have to do. He looks into her eyes, trying his best to transmit every fiber of his being to her. Luke has never been in love but he catches himself thinking this must be pretty damn close. Oh God, he loves her? He loves something, _someone_ other than music? The thought makes his head swim. Luke takes a step back. They’ve been under a spell and he needs a minute, he needs to get back in control. She’s unraveling him in ways she can’t even see. But he thinks about what she just told him and can’t help but think he’s got her unraveling too. Man, love is gross.

“I don’t want to take up too much more of your night. I’m glad things are good with your dad,” he says, scratching the back of his neck. Nothing can diffuse sexual tension quicker than talking about someone’s dad, right? 

Julie glances over at her nightstand clock. “Yeah, it’s getting late. I’m surprised he hasn’t come in to scold me for my lights still being on.” 

“He probably thinks you’ve had enough scolding for the night.”

She laughs and it’s the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard. “Yeah, maybe.” She fidgets with her fingers before looking up at him. “Thank you for coming to check on me. That was really sweet of you.” 

“It’s no problem. That’s what bandmates do.” He winces a little at labeling them something as platonic as bandmates but to be fair, no word feels adequate enough to describe what they are. What they mean to each other. It goes beyond anything he’s ever known. 

She gives a small nod, her lips tugged up in a smile. “Bandmates.”

Every cell in his body screams for him to stay as Luke poofs out of her room. He lands outside the studio rocked by the realization that though nothing happened, somehow everything has changed. 


End file.
